Search name constant contain string

[Anonymous]

Dear all,

I want to search the elements that has a name constant property.

For example, 

Category: Element

Property: Phase Created

Value: Phase "New Construction", #86961

How can I search this element with only a keyword "New"?

I tried to search through below code, but nothing returns.

SearchCondition.HasPropertyByDisplayName("Element", "Phase Created").DisplayStringContains("New").IgnoreStringValueCase()

Best Regards,

John

[augusto.goncalves]

Sorry, which API is this SearchCondition that you're using?

UPDATE: sorry, I got confused, this is a Navisworks API

[ulski1]

hi,

I recommend that you open and compile the dll for the Autodesk provided plugin tool called appinfo (see C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Navisworks Simulate 2016\api\NET\examples\Tools\AppInfo)

After you get this tool up and running you select the item manually you want to seach for and start the appinfo tool  - in the tool you can browse the object tree (look for selected item) and see where you search fails - that said the most likely problem is that you have to use the internal category name not the displayed category name

br

Ulrik

[Anonymous]

Hi Augusto Goncalves,

Thanks for your interest. It is Navisworks API.

Autodesk.Navisworks.Api.Search.Conditions.

Hi Ulrik,

Thanks for your answer.

I tried to use internal name but it still doesn't work.

The problem I faced is that the value of the property is NameConstant, instead of DisplayString.

Here are one more example.

Category: Element

Property: Id

Value: 123456

How can I search this element with part of it, says '234'?

Below code returns me nothing.

SearchCondition.HasPropertyByDisplayName("Element", "Id").DisplayStringContains("234").IgnoreStringValueCase()

The reason behind is the value of Element Id is Int, instead of DisplayString.

Best Regards,

John

[ulski1]

hi again John,

when navisworks read data from other CAD systems Revit,AutoCad etc. it will automatically try to guess if a value is a string, integer, double or date. The number 123 is most likely a int and not a string. The values are accessed via a class  "VariantData" (look into this)

You can only use "displaystring" on things that are a string. If you want to have a search method that can handle both integer and string you should try to use ".value" instead of "displaystring". I also recommend that you read in the documentation about "PruneBelowMatch", "StartGroup" and  "Locations"

Here is a code snippet to get you started

using (VariantData MyValue = DPC.FindPropertyByName(NWDataPropertyMyProp).Value)

{
if (MyValue.IsDisplayString)
{
Result = MyValue.ToDisplayString();
}
else
{
Result = MyValue.ToString();
}
}

Ulrik

[Anonymous]

Hi again Ulrik,

Thanks again for your detailed reply.

The main problem I faced is to search the element with part of the value.

I read the document, but there is only method 'DisplayStringContains', which works with DisplayString only, but not Int and NamedConstant.

Best Regards,

John

[ulski1]

try

SearchCondition.HasPropertyByName(NWPropertyCategory, NWDataPropertyTag).StartGroup();

[ulski1]

full line is something like:

searchObject.SearchConditions.Add(SearchCondition.HasPropertyByName(NWPropertyCategory, NWDataPropertyTag).StartGroup());

[Anonymous]

This will search all the elements that have that properties.

However, I just want to search the elements with part of the value.

[xiaodongliang]

Hi John,

you can use SearchConditionComparison.DisplayStringContains, orSearchConditionComparison.DisplayStringWildcard

 Search search = new Search();
search.Selection.SelectAll();
search.SearchConditions.Add(new SearchCondition(
                            new NamedConstant(PropertyCategoryNames.AutoCadEntityHandle,"Element"),
                            new NamedConstant(DataPropertyNames.AutoCadEntityHandleValue, "Phase Created"),
                            SearchConditionOptions.IgnoreNames,
                            SearchConditionComparison.DisplayStringContains,
                            VariantData.FromDisplayString("New"))); 

ModelItemCollection items = search.FindAll(Nw.Application.ActiveDocument, false);
Nw.Application.ActiveDocument.CurrentSelection.CopyFrom(items);

Or, you could also build LINQ clause 

   IEnumerable<ModelItem> oMC = 
             Nw.Application.ActiveDocument.Models[0].RootItem.DescendantsAndSelf.Where<ModelItem>
                (x=>x.PropertyCategories.FindPropertyByDisplayName("Element","Phase Created").Value.ToDisplayString().Contains("New"));

[xiaodong_liang]

again, posted by my personal account. Do not be surprised 🙂

[Anonymous]

Hi Xiao Dong,

Long time no chat.

I tried your codes but there is nothing returned.

I guess the problem is the the Property 'Phase Created' is a NamedConstant instead of DisplayString.

However, I cannot find a method that has the 'Contain' function for other types, such as Int32 and NamedConstant.

Best Regards,

John

[xiaodong_liang]

Hi John,

will it be fine if you toString on the value and use Contain function?

[Anonymous]

Hi XiaoDong,

It cannot be done in the Search API.

Would you mean I search all elements containing this property and use For loop to compare all items with the keyword?

Best Regards,

John

[xiaodong_liang]

I meant the second way LINQ which sorts out the items from rootitem.

[Anonymous]

Hi XiaoDong,

I tried your code, but it doesn't work.

IEnumerable<ModelItem> oMC = 
             Nw.Application.ActiveDocument.Models[0].RootItem.DescendantsAndSelf.Where<ModelItem>
                (x=>x.PropertyCategories.FindPropertyByDisplayName("Element","Phase Created").Value.ToDisplayString().Contains("New"))

Best Regards,

John

[ulski1]

hi John,

try this:

Int32 myi = 0;

if (int.TryParse(item, out myi) == false)
{

//display error

}

else

{

SearchObject.SearchConditions.Add(SearchCondition.HasPropertyByName(NWPropertyCategory,NWDataProperty).EqualValue(VariantData.FromInt32(myi)).StartGroup());

}

br

Ulrik

[Anonymous]

Hi Ulrik,

Thanks for your suggestion. However, this method need to search with the exact value.

For example, I want to find an element that has value '1234567',but I search nothing with keyword '3456' by your method.

Best Regards,

John

[xiaodong_liang]

Hi John,

could you share a test model? I can give a test at my side.

[ulski1]

I see the problem - Navisworks does not offer "contains" or "wildcard" as search criteria for numbers. You can only use "smaller than"/"larger than" etc.

I agree with Xiaodong Liang that you will have to select all objects with this number attribute and then write you own loop / filter

br

Ulrik